Special killer whale hunting strategy unravelled as orcas take on mighty whale sharks
4 months ago

Special killer whale hunting strategy unravelled as orcas take on mighty whale sharks

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Researchers have now gathered direct evidence of orcas hunting and killing whale sharks. open image in gallery A killer whale pod swims in tight configuration Orcas, or killer whales as they are commonly known, are marine mammals known to display a range of intelligent behaviours. open image in gallery Killer whale in the Salish Sea is observed harassing a porpoise, The whale sharks were temporarily stunned and flipped over, enabling the orcas access to the lipid-rich liver of the fish. open image in gallery Researcher Alison Towner with the carcass of a great white shark that washed up following an Orca attack Researchers suspect the orcas in the Gulf of California have acquired these “special skills” to prey on whale sharks and that the knowledge may be spreading among orca populations.

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History of this topic

Orca researchers catch rare glimpse of newborn killer whale off Bremer Bay
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Orca researchers catch rare glimpse of newborn killer whale off Bremer Bay

ABC  

This tiny orca calf could be one of the youngest ever seen in Australian waters. The newborn orca, only a few hours old, has been photographed off Bremer Bay on Western Australia's southern coast, in a rare sighting which could provide answers about the species' behaviour. "There's such a high concentration of killer whales here in the Bremer Canyon system …

DNA test confirms orcas killed great white shark found near Cape Bridgewater
2 months ago

DNA test confirms orcas killed great white shark found near Cape Bridgewater

ABC  

Research has confirmed a great white shark that washed up on a beach in south-west Victoria was the victim of killer whale predation. The study's lead author, Flinders University and Cetacean Research Centre PhD candidate Isabella Reeves, said the attack was the first confirmed instance of killer whale predation on a white shark in Australia. "That a white shark washed …

1980s fashion returns… for killer whales! Orcas are spotted wearing salmon as 'hats' nearly 40 years after they were spotted enjoying the bizarre trend
3 months, 4 weeks ago

1980s fashion returns… for killer whales! Orcas are spotted wearing salmon as 'hats' nearly 40 years after they were spotted enjoying the bizarre trend

Daily Mail  

Killer whales have been spotted wearing dead fish on their heads - a look they were seen sporting nearly 40 years ago by researchers. Killer whales have been spotted wearing dead fish on their heads Researcher say their behaviour could be linked to a larger population of salmon in the waters this year, and because they have an abundance of …

Images reveal how an orca pod hunts the world’s largest fish
4 months ago

Images reveal how an orca pod hunts the world’s largest fish

CNN  

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. CNN — An orca pod in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico has devised a cunning strategy to hunt and kill whale sharks — the world’s largest fish that can grow up to 18 meters in length — new research has revealed. While anecdotal evidence had previously suggested that orcas …

Images reveal how an orca pod hunts the world’s largest fish
4 months ago

Images reveal how an orca pod hunts the world’s largest fish

CNN  

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. CNN — An orca pod in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico has devised a cunning strategy to hunt and kill whale sharks — the world’s largest fish that can grow up to 18 meters in length — new research has revealed. While anecdotal evidence had previously suggested that orcas …

Killer whales are killer whales, right? It might be a lot more complicated than that
1 year ago

Killer whales are killer whales, right? It might be a lot more complicated than that

LA Times  

More than 150 years ago, a San Francisco whaler noticed something about killer whales that scientists may be about to formally recognize — at least in name. Transients — also called Bigg’s killer whales — hunt seals and other marine mammals in small packs in expansive waters stretching from Southern California to the Arctic Circle. “We’re facing a global conservation …

Astonishing moment orca kills great white shark after slamming into it at high speed is captured in rare footage
1 year ago

Astonishing moment orca kills great white shark after slamming into it at high speed is captured in rare footage

Daily Mail  

This is the moment a killer whale took down a great white shark in a pitched battle in the sea around South Africa. The footage, captured by National Geographic as part of the series 'Queens', shows a 60-year-old grandmother killer whale called Sophie pounding into a great white shark off the coast of South Africa. The footage, captured by National …

Lone killer whale kills and eviscerates great white shark in under 2 minutes in stunning attack
1 year ago

Lone killer whale kills and eviscerates great white shark in under 2 minutes in stunning attack

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists have published dramatic footage of the moment a lone killer …

Living up to their 'killer' name! Watch the 'astonishing' moment an orca individually kills and consumes a great white shark within just two minutes
1 year ago

Living up to their 'killer' name! Watch the 'astonishing' moment an orca individually kills and consumes a great white shark within just two minutes

Daily Mail  

When it comes to the ocean's apex predator, the great white shark most likely springs to mind. For the first time, a killer whale has been seen individually killing and consuming a great white shark – and within just two minutes. For the first time, a killer whale has been seen individually killing and consuming a great white shark – …

We've got orcas all wrong and it's killing them
1 year, 2 months ago

We've got orcas all wrong and it's killing them

Salon  

In November, killer whales again made headlines after sinking their fourth boat in the Strait of Gibraltar in two years. One 1937 killer whale encounter was described as “a tale of murder and marine slaughter,” even though the orcas were only hunting seals and no humans were harmed. The violent reaction traces back to the earliest documented interactions between humans …

Mystery as half-eaten great white shark washes up on beach
1 year, 5 months ago

Mystery as half-eaten great white shark washes up on beach

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Mystery behind killer whales killing porpoises without eating them finally unravelled
1 year, 5 months ago

Mystery behind killer whales killing porpoises without eating them finally unravelled

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, …

Bloodthirsty orcas brutally attack a whale shark. Watch rare video
1 year, 7 months ago

Bloodthirsty orcas brutally attack a whale shark. Watch rare video

Hindustan Times  

In a video that is going viral on social media, an orca can be seen launching a brutal attack on a whale shark. In the caption of the video, the channel wrote, "While swimming with Killer Whales we witnessed a very rare and first time ever video recorded a killer whales attacking a whale shark." Watch the video of the …

Mother killer whales protect their sons - but not their daughters, study finds
1 year, 8 months ago

Mother killer whales protect their sons - but not their daughters, study finds

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Mummy’s boy male killer whales are being helped out in …

Two dozen killer whales spotted celebrating a hunt off the San Francisco coast
1 year, 9 months ago

Two dozen killer whales spotted celebrating a hunt off the San Francisco coast

LA Times  

An unusually large group of killer whales was spotted May 7 near the Farallon Islands. Michael Pierson, a naturalist for the nonprofit eco-tourism organization Oceanic Society, has traveled from the San Francisco coast to the Farallon Islands many times during peak whale-watching season. Between 20 and 24 killer whales were spotted near the Farallon Islands on May 7, possibly a …

'Surgical' shark-killing orcas fascinate scientists
2 years ago

'Surgical' shark-killing orcas fascinate scientists

The Hindu  

Scores of disembowelled sharks have washed up on a South African beach putting the spotlight on a pair of shark-hunting killer whales whose behaviour has fascinated scientists and wildlife enthusiasts. "The dead sharks are torn open at the pelvic girdle, they have Orca teeth marks known as rake marks on their pectoral fins and their liver is missing," said Alison …

Killer whale dies after grounding itself on Florida beach
2 years, 2 months ago

Killer whale dies after grounding itself on Florida beach

CNN  

CNN — Wildlife officials in Florida are investigating the death of a female killer whale that grounded itself on Wednesday on a beach in Palm Coast, about 30 miles north of Daytona Beach. “This is the first killer whale stranding in the Southeast US, so there’s a lot of interest, obviously, in trying to sample it extensively and try to …

Drone captures strange behaviour as orcas chase and kill great white shark | Watch
2 years, 5 months ago

Drone captures strange behaviour as orcas chase and kill great white shark | Watch

India Today  

Orcas, or killer whales, were seen chasing and killing a great white shark in footage captured on a drone camera in June this year. Scientists believe a total of four great white sharks were killed in the killer whale onslaught. One of the whales was known to have attacked great white sharks before, but the others were not. According to …

Orcas caught on video hunting great white sharks
2 years, 5 months ago

Orcas caught on video hunting great white sharks

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Orcas have been caught on …

Giant sharks once roamed the seas, feasting on huge meals
2 years, 7 months ago

Giant sharks once roamed the seas, feasting on huge meals

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Today’s sharks have nothing on their ancient cousins. For their study published Wednesday, researchers used fossil evidence to create a 3D model of the megalodon — one of the biggest predatory fish of all time — and find clues about its life. “It would be a superpredator just dominating its ecosystem,” said co-author John Hutchinson, who studies …

Stunning drone footage shows three killer whales hunt 9-foot great white shark and eat its liver
2 years, 8 months ago

Stunning drone footage shows three killer whales hunt 9-foot great white shark and eat its liver

Daily Mail  

It is a gripping scene of an orca viciously ripping out the liver of a nine-foot-long great white shark, as two other killer whales excitedly watch the once blue waters of South Africa’s Mossel Bay turn blood red before the shark sinks to a the bottom of the sea – never to be seen again. The carcass slowly disappears into …

Pair of ‘liver eating’ killer whales scare off great white shark population in South Africa
2 years, 8 months ago

Pair of ‘liver eating’ killer whales scare off great white shark population in South Africa

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Two killer whales are believed to have been "terrorising", killing and removing the internal organs …

Pair of orcas have killed at least EIGHT Great White Sharks off the coast of South Africa since 2017
2 years, 8 months ago

Pair of orcas have killed at least EIGHT Great White Sharks off the coast of South Africa since 2017

Daily Mail  

Two killer whales are thought to have killed at least eight Great White Sharks off the coast of South Africa since 2017, and managed to scare off many more. Researchers say Great Whites that encounter killer whales will immediately abandon their usual hunting ground for up to a year Experts at the Dyer Island Conservation Trust claim the decline in …

Orcas recorded for the first time hunting and killing blue whales
3 years, 1 month ago

Orcas recorded for the first time hunting and killing blue whales

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, …

Canadian Scientists Find New Species of Killer Whales That Hunt Large Sea Mammals
3 years, 5 months ago

Canadian Scientists Find New Species of Killer Whales That Hunt Large Sea Mammals

News 18  

Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada have discovered a new population of killer whales that prey on large sea mammals like the grey whale calves. Speaking on the findings, the research’s lead author Josh D. McInnes said that killer whales generally prefer deep waters, so, they were found offshore near canyon systems which are considered to be …

Orcas have complex social structures including close 'friendships'
3 years, 9 months ago

Orcas have complex social structures including close 'friendships'

Daily Mail  

Killer whales – also known as orcas – have complex social structures including close 'friendships', a new study reveals. 'Until now, research on killer whale social networks has relied on seeing the whales when they surface, and recording which whales are together,' said lead author Dr Michael Weiss, of the University of Exeter. Patterns of physical contact – one of …

Watch: Viral Video Shows Orca Jumping 15 Feet Into the Air During Bottlenose Dolphin Hunt
3 years, 10 months ago

Watch: Viral Video Shows Orca Jumping 15 Feet Into the Air During Bottlenose Dolphin Hunt

News 18  

The Orcas or killer sharks definitely scare swimmers with their fins as they hunt for their prey. However, a recent video captured by a group of divers on a boat shows how these marine animals can impress their audience as it hunts for food underwater. Miguel Cuevas of Cabo Pulmo Divers posted a video on his Instagram handle earlier this …

70 orcas target young blue whale in four-hour killing orgy off WA coast
4 years ago

70 orcas target young blue whale in four-hour killing orgy off WA coast

ABC  

"The orcas had a plan. Key points: A young blue whale has been attacked and killed by a massive pod of orcas Up to 70 orcas were involved in the attack It is one of just a few documented cases of orca attacks on a blue whale That is how marine scientist Kristy Brown summed up how up to 70 …

Killer whales are blamed for vanishing population of great white sharks off Cape Town's coast
4 years, 4 months ago

Killer whales are blamed for vanishing population of great white sharks off Cape Town's coast

Daily Mail  

Killer whales off the coast of South Africa are killing great white sharks and eating their livers, according to a new government report. At least seven great white shark carcasses have washed ashore in False Bay since 2017, with telltale teeth marks indicating they were savaged by orcas. Scroll down for video At least seven great white shark carcasses have …

Drone footage shows a great white shark drowning a 33ft humpback whale off South Africa
4 years, 8 months ago

Drone footage shows a great white shark drowning a 33ft humpback whale off South Africa

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A great white shark has …

Great White shark named Helen attacks and drowns a 32-foot humpback whale
4 years, 8 months ago

Great White shark named Helen attacks and drowns a 32-foot humpback whale

Daily Mail  

Scientists have recorded the first footage of a great white shark attacking and killing an enormous humpback whale. Footage reveals the first documented evidence of a great white shark attacking and killing an enormous humpback whale. Ryan Johnson, a marine biologist who observed the massacre, says the ordeal lasted about 50 minutes before the whale died The great white was …

'Elaborate' orca hunt witnessed in full at Bremer Canyon, off south coast of WA
5 years, 1 month ago

'Elaborate' orca hunt witnessed in full at Bremer Canyon, off south coast of WA

ABC  

A brutal and "elaborate" attack on a whale by about 50 orcas has been documented on camera off WA's south coast. Key points: A tour group has witnessed a large-scale orca hunt off the coast of Western Australia that ended in the gory demise of a beaked whale The kill was documented by marine biologist Brodee Elsdon, who said the …

Whale watchers witness rarely seen spectacle as orcas devour juvenile humpback off NSW north coast
5 years, 5 months ago

Whale watchers witness rarely seen spectacle as orcas devour juvenile humpback off NSW north coast

ABC  

Whale watchers off the coast of Ballina in northern New South Wales have held a front-row seat to the gruesome spectacle of a juvenile humpback whale being devoured by a pod of killer whales, also known as orcas. Key points: Witnesses say they were watching a mother humpback whale, a calf, and a male, when a pod of orcas emerged …

3 orcas from an extremely endangered group are presumed dead, leaving only 73
5 years, 7 months ago

3 orcas from an extremely endangered group are presumed dead, leaving only 73

CNN  

CNN — The Southern Resident killer whale population has fallen to only 73 because three adult killer whales reported missing in July are now presumed to be dead. The Washington state-based Center for Whale Research said the killer whales, also known as orcas, were from an extremely endangered population that frequented the Salish Sea in southwestern Canada and northwestern Washington …

The killer whales of the Puget Sound are dying out and we can't save them
5 years, 10 months ago

The killer whales of the Puget Sound are dying out and we can't save them

The Independent  

It’s like the sound of a large piece of wood being smacked hard on to water. “Their environment has changed so quickly, over just two generations,” Sheila Thornton, senior killer whale biologist for Canada’s department of fisheries and oceans, told The Seattle Times, of the southern group, which is organised by scientists in three pods – J, K and L. …

Blue whale savaged off the south coast of WA by hungry killer whales
5 years, 11 months ago

Blue whale savaged off the south coast of WA by hungry killer whales

ABC  

Scores of orcas have been filmed savaging a sub-adult pygmy blue whale off the WA coast, with a charter boat crew on hand to witness the hunt from start to kill. Key points: Killer whales rarely attack blue whales and aren't normally successful if they do The attack off Bremer Bay was the second in two weeks Researchers say the …

Disappearing great whites see elusive ‘living fossil’ shark species re-emerge in South African waters
6 years, 1 month ago

Disappearing great whites see elusive ‘living fossil’ shark species re-emerge in South African waters

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The disappearance of great white sharks from a major hunting ground off the coast of …

‘It’s heartbreaking’: Killer whale continues carrying dead calf for ‘unprecedented’ length of mourning
6 years, 7 months ago

‘It’s heartbreaking’: Killer whale continues carrying dead calf for ‘unprecedented’ length of mourning

CNN  

CNN — A female orca whale is still apparently grieving her dead calf and still swimming with its body after more than two weeks, authorities say. “It’s heartbreaking to watch,” said Michael Milstein of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s West Coast Region. What’s extraordinary about this is the length of time.” The adult – Tahlequah, or J35 as the …

Orcas filmed hunting and killing elusive whale species off WA for first time
6 years, 11 months ago

Orcas filmed hunting and killing elusive whale species off WA for first time

ABC  

For the first time in history orcas have been filmed hunting and killing an elusive whale species in Australian waters. Mr Thom said blood was pooling in the water as almost 50 killer whales encircled the injured beaked whale. Bremer Bay a 'biological hotspot' Cuvier's beaked whale are considered elusive due to the amount of time they spend underwater. "This …

HOW COMMON IS IT FOR KILLER WHALES TO HUNT DOLPHINS?
7 years ago

HOW COMMON IS IT FOR KILLER WHALES TO HUNT DOLPHINS?

Daily Mail  

Killer whales, also known as orcas and blackfish, are one of the top predators in the sea. Killer whales are technically a species of dolphin but will hunt other types of dolphin for food. Dolphins are normally faster swimmers than the larger killer whale, but the orcas will work as a pack to hunt. Once their prey is no longer …

Fourth great white shark found dead in South Africa
7 years, 9 months ago

Fourth great white shark found dead in South Africa

Daily Mail  

A fourth great white shark has washed up dead on a beach believed to be the latest victim of killer whales off the coast of South Africa. Pods of killer whales were spotted around Gansbaai at the time the three great whites were killed in May and around Dangerpoint when the fourth great white was killed this week. A fourth …

Orcas prey on great white sharks in South African waters
7 years, 10 months ago

Orcas prey on great white sharks in South African waters

Associated Press  

JOHANNESBURG — The great white shark is one of the ocean’s most powerful predators, yet it is sometimes prey for orcas that killed several of the formidable creatures off South Africa’s coast this month. Rare autopsies conducted on carcasses that washed ashore show how orcas dominate the marine food chain at the expense of great white sharks, whose ferocious reputation …

Whales at war! A battle between awesome predators
8 years ago

Whales at war! A battle between awesome predators

Daily Mail  

Over the past 17 years, I’ve been studying and writing about whales, swimming with them and getting close to them. Just half an hour out from shore, we saw the distinctive blows of sperm whales — once the most hunted whale in the world’s oceans. The orcas locked in a titanic battle with the sperm whales off the west coast …

Drone video captures killer whales eating a shark alive
8 years, 3 months ago

Drone video captures killer whales eating a shark alive

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The next thing you know a killer whale comes up with a shark in its mouth.” Moore said he …

Orca killer whales force onto a rock to escape being eaten by the hungry pod
9 years, 6 months ago

Orca killer whales force onto a rock to escape being eaten by the hungry pod

Daily Mail  

A two-metre shark had to be rescued after it was forced to throw itself onto rocks to avoid being eaten by a pod of hungry orca. Sixteen orca were spotted hunting sevengill sharks and stringray in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand's north on Monday. Orca expert Ingrid Visser was in the area with a Japanese film crew when …

Are killer whales persons?: The more we learn about orcas, the more our assumption of innate superiority looks like a presumption
9 years, 9 months ago

Are killer whales persons?: The more we learn about orcas, the more our assumption of innate superiority looks like a presumption

Salon  

Can an animal be a person? “The ability to experience positive emotions, like love and attachment, would mean that dogs have a level of sentience comparable to that of a human child,” writes Berns, “and this ability suggests a rethinking of how we treat dogs.” Berns, like an increasing number of animal ethicists, contends that this rethinking should take the …

Marine biologist's stunning photographs show encounters with bizarre sea creatures
10 years, 3 months ago

Marine biologist's stunning photographs show encounters with bizarre sea creatures

Daily Mail  

He has dived the Galapagos Islands, southern Mozambique, the outer Great Barrier Reef, South Africa and Tanzania by whale sharks and now leads a global research program on them Simon Pierce grew up besotted with wildlife and not even a terrifying one-on-one encounter with a great white shark on his first solo dive could deter him from his passion of …

Orcas spotted attacking and killing Humpback calves during a spate of assaults
10 years, 3 months ago

Orcas spotted attacking and killing Humpback calves during a spate of assaults

Daily Mail  

Off the coast of Australia, Killer whales are well and truly living up to their vicious name. ‘The prevalence of presumed killer whale tooth rake marks on the flukes and flippers of nearly every large whale species has been cited as evidence that attacks might, in fact, be fairly common.’ During the attacks, Mr Pitman and his team also spotted …

Watching Canada's killers at work
10 years, 4 months ago

Watching Canada's killers at work

BBC  

A quest to see Canada’s orcas in the wild Sunset off northern Vancouver Island. Roughly 250 Northern Resident orcas reside in the waters near northern Vancouver Island, eating salmon and growing up to 9m long. I joined five others aboard the MV Gikumi, a converted tugboat, on Orcella Expeditions’ five-day exploration in the teeming waters east of north Vancouver Island …

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